SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

Fri, Aug 02, 2013 - Page 18

WALES

Cardiff break bank for Caulker

Cardiff City have signed England defender Steven Caulker from Tottenham Hotspur for a club record fee on a four-year deal, the promoted Premier League side said on Wednesday. “Cardiff City can this evening confirm the club-record signing of England international Steven Caulker from Tottenham Hotspur,” a statement on the club’s Web site said. No details of the fee were revealed, but the previous club record was set when Denmark international striker Andreas Cornelius moved from FC Copenhagen for ￡7.5 million (US$11.37 million) on July 1. Caulker, 21, is the fourth signing by manager Malky Mackay since the Welsh club won promotion to the top flight in April following a 51-year absence. “I’m delighted to be here and excited for this fresh challenge,” said Caulker, who scored for England against Sweden in his only international appearance.

UNITED STATES

Roma beat MLS All-Stars

Kevin Strootman scored one goal and helped create another on Wednesday as Serie A heavyweights AS Roma beat Major League Soccer’s All-Stars 3-1. All-Stars manager Peter Vermes’ starting 11 included some of MLS’ best-known faces. Sporting Kansas City hometown players Graham Zusi, Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin were all starters, as well as the New York Red Bulls’ French star Thierry Henry and Montreal’s Italian import Marco Di Vaio. Roma opened the scoring just five minutes into the contest, when Alessandro Florenzi played a ball through to Strootman, who slotted it past goalkeeper Raul Fernandez. Vermes made several substitutions at halftime, bringing on Mike Magee, Landon Donovan, Nick Rimando and Chris Wondolowski. Roma made it 2-0 in the 47th minute when Federico Balzaretti crossed from the left for Florenzi, who powered it past Rimando. Roma stretched their lead to three in the 68th minute. US international Michael Bradley got things going with a through ball to Strootman, who moved it to Junior Tallo to finish with a tap-in. The All-Stars grabbed a consolation goal in injury-time, when Camilo sent a free-kick into the box where Los Angeles Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez nodded it home.

FRANCE

Bastia sign Romaric

Ivory Coast midfielder Romaric has joined Ligue 1 side Bastia on a free transfer, the club announced on Wednesday. Romaric, 30, joins the Corsican outfit on a one-year deal, with the option for a second, having spent last season with Real Zaragoza in Spain, following previous spells at Sevilla and Espanyol. The Ivorian returns to France where he played for three seasons with Le Mans from 2005 to 2008 and will be reunited with former boss Frederic Hantz. Romaric has been capped 44 times at international level.

RUSSIA

Kuban appoint Munteanu

Russian Premier League club Kuban Krasnodar announced on Wednesday the appointment of Romanian Dorinel Munteanu as their new head coach. The 45-year-old takes over from Igor Osinkin, named as caretaker manager following the departure of Leonid Kuchuk to Lokomotiv Moscow. Munteanu took over Saransk in December last year, but failed to save them from relegation from the top flight. Kuban, who finished fifth under Kuchuk last season to qualify for the Europa League, are currently fourth with seven points after three matches. Munteanu’s first game in charge is Sunday’s clash with league leaders Spartak Moscow.

TENNIS

US Open offers US$2.6m

The winners of the US Open singles tennis titles will get a record US$2.6 million each, an increase of 37 percent. The Grand Slam tournament has boosted its total prize money by more than one-third to US$34.3 million as it increased pay for the wheelchair event and will also significantly raise daily expenses for players, the US Tennis Association (USTA) said in an e-mailed statement. Prize money for each round of the singles has been increased, the USTA said. A first-round loser in the main draw will receive US$32,000, or 39 percent more. An exit in the second round will be rewarded with 43 percent more — or US$53,000 — while US$93,000 will be paid for a third-round departure, also an increase of 43 percent. The US Open is following the example of Wimbledon, which boosted prize money for this year’s event by 40 percent to ￡22.6 million (US$34.3 million), including ￡1.6 million each for the singles champions.

GOLF

S Korea to host Presidents

The 2015 Presidents Cup will be played at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea, marking the second time in a row that a course designed by the 18-time major championship winner will host the competition. This year’s Presidents Cup is set for Oct. 3 to Oct. 6 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. The announcement was made on Wednesday by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem along with Nicklaus, who was at the Bridgestone Invitational to receive an honorary award. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea hosted the Songdo Championship in 2010 and 2011, and last year’s Korea Women’s Open on the Korean LPGA Tour. The biennial Presidents Cup pits the US against an international side comprised of players from everywhere outside of Europe.

CYCLING

Bourreau to coach France

Bernard Bourreau has taken over from Laurent Jalabert as coach of France’s national cycling team, the French Cycling Federation (FFC) said on Wednesday. The 44-year-old Jalabert, the world time-trial champion in 1997, resigned back in April following a road accident in which he suffered a broken leg and injured shoulder. Bourreau, 61, had been Jalabert’s assistant since 2009. Jalabert, who retired in 2002, was last week named in a French government commission’s report into the fight against doping as having tested positive for EPO during the 1998 Tour de France after samples were retroactively tested in 2004. Jalabert stepped down from his role as a TV and radio pundit just before last month’s Tour began after he was named in a French newspaper as being on the French Senate commission’s list. He has since neither confirmed nor denied the doping allegations against him.

TENNIS

Tsonga withdraws

World No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France has withdrawn from next week’s ATP Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada, due to a left knee injury that forced him out at Wimbledon, organizers said on Wednesday. Tsonga, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, retired from his second-round match on June 26 at Wimbledon against Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis because of the injury and has not played a match since. “I am sorry that I won’t be able to play in Montreal,” Tsonga said in a statement. “I need to continue to rehab my knee that I injured at Wimbledon. I hope to be ready for the US Open at the end of August.” Tsonga, who reached the 2011 Montreal semi-finals before losing to eventual winner Novak Djokovic, also withdrew from the Citi Open.